Water Level
578 very low
Water Temperature
78 surface temp
Barometric Pressure
Water Clarity
13 inches
Go DEEP for the big bluegill!
Looking for some bluegills? Head out to your local pond or reservoir and fish deep. With the heat the last 2 weeks the surface temperature of most bodies of water is pretty darn warm. You have to get down below the thermocline, which is the line separating the layer of cold and warm waters, and that’s where a lot of those bigger bluegill and crappie are prowling around .
The easy fishing for big bluegills is over for this season. The fish are no longer on their beds — the eggs have all hatched, the swarms of fry dispersed, and the big bull bluegills who are charged with guarding the beds and babies are off into the deep. You will still catch bluegills in three and four feet of water, but they will be little fish. The runts hang out in the weed-infested shallows all summer, because it is here that they can best escape larger predators.
The big ones that are good for some tasty fillets are now spending time in the deeper waters.
Look for the deep weedline. This is the depth at which aquatic weed species cease to grow. The depth of the deep weedline will vary from pond to pond. In a few ultra-clear lakes, the deep weedline will be in the 16-18-foot range. On lakes with dirty or stained water, you might find the deep weedline at 6-7 feet. But on most lakes in our area, 10 to 14 feet is where you want to be looking.
Bluegills seem to be hungry most of the time, so they are not difficult to catch. If you have not caught a fish in the first 10 minutes, move. Once you find some active fish , stick with them. Bluegills seem to encourage each other to feed, so if you catch a fish or two at a spot, hang around awhile and most likely they will keep showing up.
Worms and pieces of night crawler are probably the most common bait used for bluegills, and you will catch fish on either. Wax worms work too- as do smaller minnows. Most people associate bluegills with bobbers, and you’ll catch plenty of fish while using a slip bobber, but this time of year you will probably catch more without one.
CATFISH AND SMALLMOUTH BASS
Catfish and smallmouth bass are biting in the Maumee! Head out early to try and beat that daytime heat, it’s been brutal hot out there.
